Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2005-06: Phillips spent the majority of the year playing for the USA U-17 squad. Appearing in 38 games, Phillips posted a record of 21-14-3 with a goals against average of 2.39 and a save percentage of .922. He also recorded one shutout. He played all but one game at the 2006 World U-17 Hockey Challenge where he led Team USA to a silver medal. He was named the tournament's top goaltender. Phillips also appeared in one game with the U-18 squad. He allowed two goals as he picked up the win.

2006-07: Phillips split the season in nets with Josh Unice. In 24 games, Phillips posted a record of 15-5-0-2 with a goals against average of 2.33 and a save percentage of .913. He also had two shutouts. Eleven of his 24 games came against NCAA opponents. Phillips posted a winning record in these games, finishing with a record of 5-4-1 with a goals against average of 3.18 and a save percentage of .886. NHL Central Scouting ranked Phillips as the ninth best NA goalie heading into the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.2007-08: Phillips saw action in five games with the University of Notre Dame. He spent the season backing up Jordan Pearce in goal, and along with junior Tom O’Brien, he gave the Irish one of the top goaltending trios in the country. He went 4-1-0 on the season with a 1.53 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. He recorded one shutout on the season. He made his collegiate debut on Nov. 2 in a 4-1 win over Lake Superior, making 16 saves in the game. His first career shutout came in his third career start, as he made 24 saves in a 7-0 win at Princeton on Dec. 8. He is one of seven former USNTDP alums on the Notre Dame roster along with Pearce, junior Kyle Lawson, fellow sophomores Ian Cole and Teddy Ruth and freshmen Patrick Gaul and Sean Lorenz.

2008-09: Phillips missed the entire season due to a knee injury.

2009-10: Phillips appeared in 10 games as a junior as a back-up to Notre Dame starter Mike Johnson as the Fighting Irish finished ninth in the 12-team CCHA. Phillips was 2-3-3 with 1 shutout and had a 2.47 GAA and .911 save percentage.

2010-11: Phillips played for the Bloomington Prairie Thunder in the CHL, foregoing his senior year at Notre Dame. He appeared in 30 games as a backup to veteran Marco Emond and was 12-7-5 with a 2.38 GAA and .914 save percentage. The Prairie Thunder finished third in the Turner Division and Phillips appeared in three playoff games and was 0-2 with a 3.08 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Future

With a new General Manager comes a new team philosophy and with a new philosophy comes new priorities. With emphasis being placed on team toughness and current performance, focus is being taken off of the future. In one of his first major moves as General Manager, Jay Feaster has announced that the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Scouting Staff will take a big hit in his reorganization of the team. The Bolts currently have 24 traveling scouts on their payroll. That number will be reduced to 12. Amongst those to go, is ex-Lightning Assistant Coach John Torchetti. The Lightning’s Scouting Department had previously been one of the largest in the league and had been accountable for some of the best draft picks in Lighting history.

Feaster explained, “At the beginning of the year we were handed a pot to work with and if our scouting department takes up $2.1 million and I can reduce that to say, $1 million, then that’s $1.1 million I can put into players salaries.”

More Goaltender Woes

Goaltender Brian Eklund has watched from the sidelines as his team, Brown University, enjoys one of the best streaks in recent team history. Eklund is 3-5-0, while his counter part Yanis Danis, is 11-8-2 with a 1.76 GAA. Putting Eklund, the former number one for Brown, two steps behind.

The last game Eklund appeared in was a 5-2 loss to Yale on January 11th, where he was pulled after allowing 4 goals on 20 shots.

In Eklund’s tenure at Brown, the team has never won more than 6 games a season. Now, with the team Read more»

It was definitely obvious from the beginning that the focus of this tournament was clearly on the hundred or so NHL players who were participating in this year’s Winter Olympics. However, there were some young prospects from different countries who were able to step up and make an impact on their team. These Olympics gave fans an opportunity to see some European players for the first time. Here is a look at how some of the youngsters did during this tournament.

After a great start to the season the Hurricanes have found themselves in a dog fight with the Hitmen and Tigers for the last two playoff spots in the Central division. With only 7 games left what do the Canes need to do in order to secure a playoff spot……

Well the Hurricanes need every win they can get.

Friday night against the Rebels the Canes put in a great effort but fell short on National TV against the countries #1 team.

The next night they were in Cranbrook to take on the Ice. Cranbrook kid Logan Koopmans backstopped the Canes to an important 2-0 win over the Ice. That was Logan’s second shutout of the year. Those two shutouts are the only two the team has this year.

The Hurricanes have six games left this year. Three on the road and then they come home for three to finish the season.

The Canes play each of the Tigers and Hitmen once, a rematch with the Rebels and three games against the Broncos.

The games against the Tigers and the Hitmen will most likely be deciding factors as to where the Canes end up in the standings.

The Broncos and the Rebels will be very tough games for the Hurricanes.

Lethbridge must concentrate on playing good defensive hockey. They have the talent up front and if they play good in their own end chances will come.

The road to the playoffs begins Tuesday for the Canes in Medicine Hat.